naimis

What size cap did you use? I’m running into the same issue (noise levels of 5-12LSBs @ 15Hz ODR). The data sheet for the ADXL345 indicates that a 1uF tantalum cap should be used to decouple Vs from PS noise. Add 10uF tantalum cap in parallel if that wasn’t enough. I’m planning on putting in an order for some caps in that size range (0603 package, which is what the board uses) to try and clean up the measurements.
Also, fwiw, I’m not seeing significant noise on the magnetometer except on the Z axis (with the board mounted vertically).

Cool project. Some thoughts:
It seems you’d have had better luck with the IRLEDs using PWM control for the output. If for some reason the clock speed changes in the future, the existing code is invalid. I ran across this IR remote control package for the Arduino a few months back: IR remote library
I imagine you were trying to stick with stuff that SFE carries, but there are plenty of alternatives out there to the 38KHz sensor for remote control applications. PIR sensors and even active ones, though the cost might have subsequently gone up in that case. I haven’t priced such sensors but I imagine they’re modular rather than discrete.

What’s the power requirement for the DC input? I figured it was like the Uno that could run at 5V but liked to have a bit higher voltage, but it really didn’t like the 8.5 volts my power supply was providing. The voltage regulators got pretty hot and the board would switch on and off regularly.
The silkscreen says 7-12VDC but so far I’ve only seen it work properly with a 5VDC input. That’s pretty disappointing considering I’d planned on using the 12V inverter and EL escudo in conjunction with this board.

As others have mentioned, there are alternatives, e.g. the arduino fw. One could also look at atmel’s web page at http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_docs.asp?category_id=163&family_id=607&subfamily_id=760&part_id=4600 to find a variety of USB firmware examples, including serial, mouse, and keyboard.
I programmed the arduino fw and the device popped up as an “arduino uno” under windows. That same firmware was recognized by a SunRay thin client as a serial device in the past so I’m kind of curious to see how that ends up working out.

Great idea, but unfortunately the ethernet jack interferes with stacking other boards (in my case, the el escudo) using the standard “stacking headers” offered here.
I suppose you could stick nylon washers or something like that between the board and the headers to offset them enough, or you could put the headers on the opposite side of the board (provided you’re smart enough to make sure the stacked boards also are reversed).

Regarding the inverter, my suggestion would be to get the 12V inverter, and power the Arduino with a 12V supply. Solder the DC input leads of the inverter directly to the solder pads of the Arduino DC input jack. That’s probably the best way to use this shield without having to use multiple power supplies.
The power connection on the shield is at best a distraction, as the Arduino simply can’t provide enough current for most inverters (IIRC it has a 20mA limit).

Which JST connector is being used on these boards? Is it a PH series? It’d be nice if the sparkfun webmasters would go through and make sure the connectors have more than just a manufacturer name on them when mentioned. Calling a connector “JST” isn’t really any more useful than calling a wire “carol”.
Also, the escudo seems to behave oddly if you don’t have a load on all 8 ports. What’s an appropriate dummy load (resistor) to put on as a terminator? (actually, in thinking about it, a capacitance “load” might be more appropriate, given the nature of the EL wire :)

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